618 
ON THE ARSENIC-EATERS OF STYRIA. 
bottles to chemical analysis, adopting the distillation process of Dr. Taylor as the most 
convenient way of separating arsenic from the organic matters of the urine. For this 
purpose the urine was carefully evaporated to dryness in a clean retort; the nearly dry 
residue was covered with strong hydrochloric acid, and distilled into a well-cooled 
receiver. The product, amounting to about half an ounce, was a clear, feebly pinkish 
fluid, thirty minims of which, when treated both by Eeinsch’s and Marsh’s process, gave 
very characteristic arsenical deposits. 
Schober also came the following day to see me, having taken no more arsenic since 
the dose which he had swallowed before me twenty-six hours previously. I again 
secured some urine which he passed in my presence, and this, when chemically 
examined as above, also yielded arsenic freely. 
Case 2.—Joseph Flecker, set. 46, a muscular, healthy-looking, clear complexioned 
man, a tailor by occupation, told us that he had taken Huttereich (generally the 
orpiment) for a period of fifteen years. He first began to do so on the occasion of the 
inhabitants of a house in the neighbourhood where he lived being attacked with fever; 
and when fourteen people had died in it, and no one would enter the premises, he 
determined to do so, and took, as a prophylactic, about one grain of arsenic daily for 
three successive days, while going to the infected house, and though he said he had not 
felt quite well at the time, he was unable now to describe specially what had ailed him ; 
but on being asked if he had ever suffered from vomiting or irritation in the stomach, he 
said he had not. 
The day before my interview with him he twice, viz. at 10.80 and 3 o’clock, had—in 
the presence of several of the villagers of Liegist, and on one of those occasions in 
presence of the btirgermeister, who informed me that he had seen him do it—taken a piece 
of the sulphuret of arsenic from his pocket, and scraped off a certain quantity of it on a 
piece of bread and eaten it. He brought with him a small bottle of his urine, which 
he stated to have been passed eighteen hours after the last of the two doses, and in 
which I have since found a considerable quantity of arsenic. The reason which he 
assigned for this public exhibition of his arsenic-eating capacities was, that it became the 
subject of conversation in the village that two strangers had come a very considerable 
distance to witness an example of arsenic-eating and inquire into the practice, and that 
he wished to make an open demonstration of his assertion that he was capable of 
tolerating a considerable dose of arsenic. V/hen he first came to me he seemed 
somewhat unwilling to take a dose that day, owing to his previous performance, and 
seemed to fancy it possible that he might have some slight irritation of the stomach, 
such as a feeling of warmth accompanied by thirst. He did not appear to be able to 
give any reason for anticipating this result; perhaps he intended it as a gentle hint 
that the thirst might require assuaging; at all events, having been informed that he 
should not want the wherewithal to quench it (he confessed to being by no means 
abstemious in the matter of alcoholic potations), he, to satisfy our curiosity, picked out 
a piece of arsenious acid from the same parcel that had been shown to Schober. and 
which, on being weighed, was found to be as nearly as possible six grains. This he 
placed entire on a small piece of bread, and taking it into his mouth, crunched it up 
audibly, and in about two minutes after swallowed six or seven ounces of cold water, 
stating that he liked to drink immediately after swallowing a dose, and on such 
occasions preferred water. I then made him open his mouth and inspected it narrowly, 
but found it quite clear of bread crumbs or anything else, thus assuring myself that no 
jugglery could have been practised. After having swallowed the arsenic four minutes 
he eructated slightly, but till he left us, a quarter of an hour after, he had no symptoms 
of any bad effect. The six grains were taken at 11.80, and at 12.15 he returned, and 
passed a small quantity of light-coloured urine. Nearly the whole of this was bottled 
for exportation, and the twelve ounces thus secured were treated by the process of 
distillation above described, and also yielded a characteristic deposit of arsenic. 
Flecker gave me the following account of his use of arsenic. He stated that he 
generally takes about the quantity we saw him swallow once a week, but with 
variations in the intervals, there being sometimes four days only, sometimes eight days 
between the doses. That when he has a distance to walk to his work, he takes a larger 
dose, and is then in good spirits for about eight days. That if he, however, intermits it 
for fourteen days he feels stiff in the feet, with general lassitude and a craving for 
another dose. If his victuals are hard of digestion, he takes a dose to assist the stomach, 
